Cotton-gin feeder



Feb. 2 1926. G. E. EVANS COTTON GIN FEEDER Filed August 28 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I: illllllislllllli IELIIIHH nnnn 9 II... II::

Feb. 2 1926.

G. E. EVANS COTTON GIN FEEDER Filed August '2 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g'nuz'nfox Q5 E VAN 5 Patented Feb. 2, 1226.

UNITE S TAT GEORGE E., EVANS, OF WACO, TEXAS.

COTTON-GIN FEEDER.

Application filed. August 28, 1923. Serial No. 659,733.

To aZZ whom it mcl/ concern..-

Be it known that l, Gncuou E. Evans, a citizen of the United titates ofAmerica, residing at Waco, in the county of lvlcllennan and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-GinFeeders, of which the following; is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cotton ginfeeders.

Those feeders now in common use employ a pair of pawls engaging aratchet wheel, usually one pushing and one pulling, but occasionallyboth pawls are mounted to pull or to push alternately. The result ofsuch arrangements is that when one pawl is at the end of its stroke, theopposite pawl is at the starting point of its stroke. From this it willbe seen that at this point, neither pawl is acting upon the ratchetwheel. Further each pawl will increase its speed of travel to the centerof its stroke and decrease its speed of travel to the end of its stroke.With such operations the cotton is not continuously fed in equalquantities.

The object of my invention is to provide means for continuously feedingthe cotton in equal quantities and whereby the feed rollers are causedto steadily revolve and effect a more uniform distribution of the cottonfed to the gin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of pawlsworking on the ratchet wheel continuously, whereby the lattcr isconstantly rotated at a desired speed.

construction designed to carry out the invention will he hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a feeding mechanism constructed in myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. at is a side elevation of a modified form,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same, and

F (3 is a plan view.

In the drawings the numeral designates the usual ratchet wheel which isfastened on the end of the shaft 11 of a grin feeder roll. The pickerroll has a shaft 12 on which is mounted. a pinion 13 driving a gear 14mounted on the end of the feeder frame. A bell crank lever 15 is pivotedon a stud bracket 16 and has its lower end slotted to receiveanadjustable pivot connection 17 mounted on the end of a pitman 18. Thepitman has its opposite end pivoted on a stud 19 on one of the spokes ofthe gear 1 1. When the gear is revolved, the pitman swings the lever andthe throw of the latter is lessened or increased by adjusting the pivotconnection, 17

On the upper leg of the lever 15 is slidably mounted a pivot block 20heldfin position by a set screw 21. Pawl arms '22 have their lower endsoverlapping and pivoted in the upper end of'the block 20. By adjustingthe block the stroke of the arms can be leiigtlr ened or shortened.These arms diverge, extending upwardly on each side of the face of theratchet wheel 10. The arms have oppositely directed pawls 23 pivoted ontheir upper ends, which are supported by links 24 pivoted on the end ofthe shaft 11. When the gear 14 is revolved, the arms are moved up anddown by the lever 15, one pawl feeding while the other travels over theteeth of the ratchet 10, for a fresh bite.

The parts so far described are found on a widely used feeder and areopen to all he objections herein set forth. It is obvious that the pawlswill feed faster at the center than at the ends of their strokes andthere will be a pause in the feed at the ends of the strokes.

in overcoming these objections 1 mount a lever 25 intermediate its endson a fulcrum stud 26. (in one end of the lever a pivot block 27 isslidably' mounted and held by a set screw 28; whileLthe opposite end ofthe lever is slotted for receiving an adjustable pivot connection 29attached to the upper end of a pitman 30. The lower end of the pitman 30is pivoted n the stud 19. Diverging pawl arms 31 overhanging the ratchetwheel 10 have their upper ends pivoted in the block 27. One of the armshas a pushing pawl 32 on its lower end; while the other arm has apulling pawl 33 on the lower end of its arm. These pawls operatealternately.

It is important that the pitmen 18 and 30 be at substantially rightangles to each other, so that when one pair of pawls is at the end oftheir stroke, the other pair will be at the center of their stroke atwhich the, will be at their highest speed of travel and will decrease inspeed toward the end of their .stroke. hile the second pair of pawls isreducing in speed from the center to the end of their stroke, the firstpair of pawls will be increasing in speed from the beginning of theirstroke to the center thereof. By this arrangement a desired speed and acontinuous feed will be obtained. Any substantial variation from therelative position of the pitmen will diminish the effectiveness of thedevice. There will be no point when. the ratchet wheel is not: beingacted upon by the pawls.

In Figs. 4 to 6 I have shown a modified forin in which a crank 34 takesthe place of the lever 15. On the crank are pivoted the lower ends ofpitmen 35 receiving the ratchet wheel 10 between their upperends whichare pivoted to the lower ends of supf porting links 36. Oppositelydirected pawls 37 are pivoted on the upper ends of the pitmen andalternately actuate the ratchet wheel. A gear 14' is driven in mesh witha pinion 13 mounted on a roller shaft 12. The ratchet wheel is mountedon. a roller shaft 11.

The crank is attached to the shaft of the gear 14- and has a crank arm38 offset therefrom at substantially forty-five degrees. A double crank39 is mounted in a bracket 40 above the ratchet wheel. The crank membersare offset; at an angle of about forty-five degrees. A pitman 42 extendsfrnm the crank arm 38 to the offset crank member 41. The offset crankmember 43 has pivoted thereto the upper ends of a pair of pawl arms 44straddling the upper portion of the ratchet wheel. One of the arms has apushing pawl 45 and the other arm is provided with a pulling pawl 46. Afourth pitman 47 extends from the crank 84 to the central member of thecrank t will be seen that thedriving point of the crank arm 38 is atsubstantially right angles to the driving point of the pitman L7 andwith the pitman 42 operating the pawl arms 44, substantially at rightangles to the pitmen 35, whereby similar $68113 are had to thosepointedout in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The modi.iied form is not as desirable as the first form, because the adjustmentsfor controlling the actuation of the ratchet wheel are not included inthe modified form. It is customary with the modified form to em-. ploysuitable means, not shown) working between the pawls and the ratchetteeth to hold the pawls out of the teeth during portion of the stroke.

While I have shown the device in connection with two forms of feeders,it maybe used in connection with other forms. The stud 19 and gear i land the crank 3-1 constitute driving members.

Various changes in the shape, size and location of the difi'erentelements as well as modifications may be made within the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In a gin feeder, a ratchet wheel, a driving member, a pair of pawlsengaging opposite sides of the lower portion of the ratchet wheel, apitman connected with the driving member to actuat said pawls, inconnection with a second pair of pawls engaging opposite sides of theupper portion of the ratchet wheel, alever to which said second pair ofpawls are connected by a common pivot at one side of its axis formovement toward and from the axis of the wheel, and a pitman connectingthe'last named lever with the driving member at substantially a ri htangle to the first named pitman.

' 2. In a gin feeder, a ratchet wheeha driving member, a pair of pawlsengaging opposite sides of the lower portion of the ratchet wheel, apitman connected with the driving member to actuate said pawls, inconnection with a pair of push and pull pawls engaging opposite sides ofthe upper portion of the ratchet wheel, a lever, a block thereon havinga common pivot for the push and pull pawls, said block being disposed ofmovement substantially radially of the axis of the wheel, and a pitmanconnecting said lever with the driving member at an angle to the firstnamed pitman 3. In a gin feeder, a ratchet wheel, a driving member, apair of pawls engaging opposite sides of the lower portion of theratchet wheel, a bell crank lever to which said pawls are pivoted, apitman connected with the driving member and pivoted to the lever, incombination with a second pair of pawls comprising push and pull membersand engaging opposite sides. of the upper portion of the ratchet wheel,a lever to which said second pair of pawls are adjustably pivoted at oneside of the axis thereof and a pitman pivoted connecting the last namedlever with the last named pitn'ian having its pivot in common with thefirst named pitman on the driving member and extending at substantiallyright angles to the first named pitman.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

GEORGE EVANS.

